To
Dept of Aircraft Production for disposal ex Care and Maintenance Unit, Evans
Head, NSW.

25MAR49

Disposal
action completed. (The status card does not record the name of the purchaser).

A
Social History of A59-96 contributed by Bill Staff (August 2006):

"The aircraft was acquired from Evans Head by the Jones and Short Carrying
Company and moved to Mr Short's back yard at 38 Booyun Street, Brunswick
Heads. The other partner in the business, Mr Alf Jones (who was married
to Short's sister) lived in Nana Street, across the lane behind Short's
property and three doors up. The business (and partnership) eventually folded
and Short sold 38 Booyun Street. The aircraft was sold to the owner of the
property next door, Cecil Robb, who owned the next three blocks along from
38 Booyun Street (36, 34, 32). Blocks 34 and 32 were vacant and overgrown
with Bracken Fern. The time of the sale would have had to be at the latest,
in the early fifties. The aircraft was moved over to the back corner of
Block 34 at the time of the sale. The Staff family moved into 35 Booyun
Street across the road and the Goodwins moved in to 36 Booyun Street in
1956. At this time, the aircraft had no wings, empennage, or interior fittings.
It was a bare, gutted fuselage. The aircraft had been there for some time
of course and was the scene of many legendary games, involving kids from
all over town. As a young kid, I have memories of many of the local kids
conducting serious war games in that thing….if you could get over the concern
for possible resident spiders and snakes. The older kids designated themselves
as the only ones allowed in the cockpit, so the only time I could get up
there was when there was no-one else around. Otherwise, I was ordered to
be the “tail gunner”. I remember “parachuting” out the side door many, many
times. It is reported by other residents of the street that the aircraft
also served a useful purpose as a class room, principally in the study of
anatomy! The aircraft remained in Booyun Street until approximately 1962
when it was removed, at the insistence of the Byron Council, to the Robb
family farm at Kennedy's Lane, Tyagarah. My Mother and Sister still live
at number 35 and I still call it home".